Discussions
Lord of the Rings vs. Harry Potter
Posted by MikeWJ • 7/14/09 • Subscribe to this Discussion [RSS] • Report This Topic
Topics: harry potter, lord of the rings, which is better
Ok, friends, with Harry Potter opening first thing Wednesday, I have this burning question: What's a better book, J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings triology, or what's her name's Harry Potter series?
I haven't read the Potter series, but I'm voting LOTR because it's maybe the best book ever written and I doubt some kids' book an indigent mom knocked out on a laptop while sitting in a cafe could be that good.
User Comments
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I really enjoyed The Lord of the Rings (books and films), but I haven't read any of the Harry Potter books. So, I can't really say. They've made decent movies out of them, at least.-
You, sir, are almost as ignorant as me. I haven't even seen the movies.
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LOTR!-
You're a wise and thoughtful man.
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I love HP and I'll be going to the opening of movie 6 later today. I have read all the HP books. While I enjoyed the movies of LOTR, I couldn't pass page 100 of "the fellowship of the ring", it bored me. Plus, everyone likes different literature styles and while I can accept that the LOTR series is a classic and they are good books, I can still say I don't like them.-
You are the first person I've ever met (sort of) who was able to get to page 100 of LOTR and then put it down. Kudos! Most people get addicted to the story, start dressing like elves and orcs, and then wish they lived in the Shire instead of, say, Hoboken.
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Well, when Frodo's genealogical tree kept going on and on and on, I felt asleep every night on the same page. After 4-5 nights of re-reading the same page I thought it was better to put it down.
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I had exactly the same problem--sort of--with Tolstoy's Anna Karenina. Kept reading and re-reading the first page, which I loved so much I figured the rest of the book would be a disappointment. So I never read it again. I particularly love the opening line: "All happy families are the same, but each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way." Brilliant! Too bad I couldn't read the rest....
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They are actually both great. I grew up with Harry Potter, literally. I started reading the first book when I was 11, which happen to be the same age harry was (i was lame haha). When I got older I read the LoTR series and it is my favorite series of all time.
I'll go with LoTR but as a kid, nothing can beat harry potter.-
Another wise man! And an unusually thoughtful response.
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in my opinion harry potter got kids reading again
But seriously though its like comparing apples and oranges-
Which one's the apple and which one's the orange? And which fruit do you prefer in your lunch box? Take a stand, man!
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Being truthful I haven't read either - not my genre, but taking a patriotic stand the LOTR films are better
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Okay, we appreciate the honesty, which you also appear to apply to your well-written advice blog. The LOTR movies were epic, so I'm abitrarily declaring you a wise man.
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In terms of literary quality: no contest, has to be Tolkien. However, what is "better" for an individual is dependent upon individual taste. I've read both series, and I found Tolkien to be rather like eating rich chocolate ice cream, Potter more like eating popcorn. Which is better depends on what you like at any given moment.-
I always go with the chocolate ice cream. Maybe some popcorn, too. But always with the ice cream. Because you said "no contest," I declare you a genius among geniuses!
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Trilogy Lord Of The Ring the best movie... i have a book, DVD, VCD, souvenior, coin, stamp, sticker, mug, pewter and many more-
Okay, finally, somebody after my own heart. I own the extended LOTR DVD's, some collectible mugs and about 100 or so LOTR action figures. And I'm anxiously waiting for the 2010 release of The Hobbit. All three of the previous films came out on or near the date of my birthday, and I'm hoping the next one does, too.
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How indigent can she be, if she can afford to sit around at cafes with her laptop? -
And is it the fact that she's female or has children that should result in her lack of writing skills?
I can't figure out if your insulting motherhood or just her gender in general.
Curious, I've never read her books.-
Hatingtherain -- Didn't mean to be insulting at all. She really was broke, and really did spend her days in a coffee shop writing. Now, of course, she's doing much better. I just doubt she's near the writer Tolkien was. He was in a different class.
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i only watch LOTR movies,havent read the books,but its great movies.as for harry potter the books are alot better than the movies.just love the HP1-2,the rest 3-5 is i dont know,jus dont quite like them.-
Noodlemie -- You must read the books!
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Tolkien is the best..
My favorite book ever is The Silmarillion-
dsriharsha -- You must be a true fan. I've never read The Silmarillion. I bow down before your magnificence, and declare you wise above all!
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I have collector's edition Lord of the rings, The Hobbit. Silmarillion, Unfinished Tales of Numenor and Middle earth, and Children of Hurin.
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dsriharsa -- I've never even heard of the last two books. Now I'm just ashamed of myself.
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The last 3 books deal with the first 2 ages of the Tolkien Universe.. the time of Morgoth of whom Sauron was just a servant.. that puts the LOTR in a different perspective..
However, apart from Children of Hurin, the other two aren't a continuous narrative(though Silmarillion tries to be, in places).. they are more like a collection of Myths and History, each story worthy in its own right. The Creation Myth in Ainulindale(first part of Silmarillion) puts the Creation Myths of the world religions to shame in its beauty and magnificence. -
I'm going to have to look these up. Thank you for letting me know about them. I've been bored lately, with nothing good to read. These might solve the problem
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Has to be Tolkien.
I first read LOTR in my teens and have read the trilogy at least 7 or 8 times and always find something new. For a long time I wouldn't watch the movies as I didn't want my own imagining of the characters challenged. Does anyone else remember the original LOTR film from the '70s, which covered just the first 2 books?
Reading The Hobbit after LOTR was a disappointment as it seemed a lot more shallow - like greencurmudgeon's popcorn description of HP.
I read the first 4 HPs then got bored - easy reading but no real depth. Still, the movies pass a couple of hours when you've nothing else to watch.-
Dayflyer -- You are among the wise. I was lucky enough to read Tolkien's books in order. I agree that The Hobbitt is a lesser work than LOTR -- more of a kids' book, although much more thoughtful. And, yes, I remember those original movies. They sucked, as most cartoons do.
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Well, LOTR may be more typically literary, but I loved Harry, too.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone was one of those books I picked up and instantly felt reminded of childhood. It had all the wonderful elements of things I'd loved as a kid-- but it also wasn't written on a level adults couldn't enjoy.
I thought it was imaginative and delightful.-
ThriftShopRomantic aka Jenn -- A thoughtful, if politic, response coming from someone who obviously loves the HP books. You are wise!
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havenot read any of them but loved both the movies (series), both have their own charm.-
Writings -- With a screen name like "writings" you haven't read either of the books? Wow! Well, perhaps you only write. Reading is a bother.
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And the winner is *dingdingdingdingding* LOTR!Hands down victory!-
Runningshoes -- Your answer, though not well explained and somewhat game-show like, indicates you are very wise indeed!
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- If you are into doing some BC member opinion research and want to collect more responses, over and above the comments made in this thread, then you will find there are 4 whole pages of related BC forum threads in the Discussion searchbox in the sidebar -->
www.blogcatalog.com/discuss/search.php?q=lord+of+the+rings+harry+potter-
Timethief -- Thank you kindly for pointing me in that direction. I'm not so much doing research as having a lighthearted friendly discussion about a topic that interests me--and, hopefully, a few others.
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So, I'm not wise because I like HP better? jajajajaaja
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nah.. He might be alluding to the complexity of Tolkien's mythology(Silmarillion especially) against theeasy going Children's tale of HP
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Deray28 -- I'm just teasing you. Although, I must agree with dsriharsha's assessment that Tolkien's mythology is complex and rich--he created a new language or two, among other things--and difficult to compete with. I'm just curious how people feel about the two series of books, and whether the love of one over the other has anything to do with age.
If you read the HP books when they first came out, for example, and were caught up in the excitement of their releases, then they might be your favorites no matter how good Tolkien's books are. That's why some people still love Lucky Charms cereal--they ate when they were kids and it still tastes good to them even if it's not the best cereal.
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I say that the dark amoral magic of Harry Potter would be triumphant in a head to head contest...
Wait... that's not what this thread is about is it?-
Agit8r -- No, that is not what this thread is about. But you raise an interesting point. I think there's a significant difference between what I perceive as the pedestrian witchcraft of HP versus the complex battle between good and evil as it's portrayed in LOTR. One is lightweight, the other as mysterious and as old as religion itself.
Also, I like the thought-provoking prodding you're doing in your lighthearted way, so you are wise in my book! -
"the complex battle between good and evil "
Someone please remind me what is the end point of HP?
I really don't think is fair of you to call the HP books pedestrian if you haven't read them, ALL 7 of them. -
Fair enough. I am not wise. I am an ignorant blowhard. Like Rush Limbaugh, but without the drug addiction. But I can't help myself, I just have this feeling that I'm right even though I don't really have any idea what I'm talking about.....
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Would somebody who is wise please explain what it is that I'm getting at here? Professor Tolkien based his books on his research of thousands of years of myth, plus history, plus his studies of language, plus his experiences of the Catholic church. J.K., I think, is not that deep a thinker. But I'm stupid because I haven't read the HP books, and should be horse whipped.
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I have read all 7 HP books(books 4-7 on day one) and they are my second favorite book series of all time.. but the HP series doesn't compare to Tolkien's mythology.. (Rowling once said so herself, btw)
As for good vs Evil, it is after all the main point of any heroic tale. However, as Mike says, the complexity falls short. Except for Snape, everyone else is cast as black or white.. there are no Grey areas.(before someone points out, no.. Sirius Black doesn't fit the type)
The kind of a dark brooding personality who is not necessarily evil has no place in the HP books, rightly so, because kids can't understand the personalities of those caught in the middle.. say like a Denethor, Boromir, Feanor etc.
I am not dissing the HP books, like I said, they are my second favorite of all time, but they just don't compare to Tolkien.
And BTW, the movies are pathetic. Apart from the lavish sets and the CG, the only good thing about the movies is Emma Watson. -
@Mike
"Rowling is not a deep thinker"
Wrong.. Rowling has done quite a bit of research too.. If you would care to read the books deeply, or are familiar with World History and Mythology to an extent, you will see lots of interesting and wonderful ways in which Rowling has incorporated it all in the books.. from the names, places, myths etc.
I recommend "Magical worlds of Harry Potter" by David Colbert as a must have for all Potter fans -
I agree with dsriharsha. IMO the Harry Potter series series doesn't compare to Tolkien's literary quality or mythology.
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dsriharsha -- I'm very impressed with both your knowledge and understanding of the two series of books. It's nuanced character development coupled with literary references that separate the series. Denethor and Borimor are excellent examples of troubled yet noble adult characters that would be meaningless to most kids because they aren't stereotyped. In fact, they reflect the human condition--which is probably why they're from the world of men rather than elves or whatever--better than any of the other characters in the books.
Interesting, though, that you see HP as having similar, if somewhat shallower, qualities. That makes me curious about the HP series, which I've studiously avoided. -
yes.. it is the men, who are shortlived who have the grey streaks to their personality.. the elves who are immortal are filled with patience.
However, the most complex character in all Tolkien Mythology and my personal favorite is by far an elf.. Feanor, he who created the Silmarilli.. The way Tolkien developed this particular character in Silmarillion is amazing.. an elf who had the skill and tenacity to rival the Valar and even had the confidence and authority to scare Melkor(Morgoth) himself..
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I would prefer audiobooks, haven't read any of them but judging from the movie....definitely LOTR.-
braincatcher -- Ok, you didn't read, but you did watch carefully and you have rendered a good decision based on the director's interpretations of the two series of books. And so, you are wise indeed!
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LOTR..-
You are wise. And brief. Kudos. Brief is not my strong suit.
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Lord of the Rings hands down-
A wise person, you are.
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BTW, why is hands down good, but thumbs down bad? I need to research this. In the meantime, I repeat, you are wise.
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Thats a good question, I know that the reason 'thumbs down'is bad is because of a misconception of the meaning behind the thumbs down symbol in Roman gladiatorial contests (thumbs down didnt mean death it actually meant the opposite). I dont know about 'hands down though'.
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I wonder if it has to do with cards. "Hands down" as in the round is over, everybody's done, end of subject.
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I had a quick look and here is the origin of hands down its here at ask.yahoo.com/20051215.html So there you go,I think i would prefer it to be thriftshopromantics guess though, maybe we can start our own linguistic misconception and just say thats the meaning anyway...
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I really like thriftshopromantic's response and think I'll spread it 'round the net as fast as possible. Thanks for doing the research, theauthorswim. That's actually almost as interesting as Jenn's idea. I wonder if it's really true?
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another possible reason would be.. in a class when a teacher asks a question.. the few who know the answer have their hands up.. but if it is a very common answer and common knowledge, the students have their hands down, because everyone knows it..
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Harry Potter isn't supposed to be a kid's story....alot of evil and dark magic-
The books kinda like 'evolve' if you know what I mean.The first book is kiddish with muggles, quiditch, bludgers, chocolate frogs, licorice wands and then it grows much much darker as the books go by with horcruxes, torture, unforgivable curses, Barty Crouch killing his dad, dementors, nagini, death eaters......
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Not a kids' story? Then why is the publisher and every librarian in the U.S. pushing them as kids' books? OMG! Are we pushing our kids into adulthood too fast? Is HP in fact some sort of wicked plot to corrupt our childrens' minds, as some people claim? Now I'm worried.....
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no hp is kinda like a kiddy-kiddy book in the begining and ends up in being less kiddy-kiddy later.....Hey did you read any swear words in tolkien's books?
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BTW, chocolate frogs sound tasty, especially the extra crunchy kind. Horcruxes, torture and unforgiveable curses? Not so much....
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@MikeWJ-You hit the nail in the head.
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Runningshoes -- I don't there are any swear words in Tolkien's books, unless they're uttered in Orc speak or you consider "Son of a Took!" cussing. Not entirely sure, though. I'll bet our good friend dsriharsa knows, though.
Dsriharsa? Any thoughts on LOTR swearing? Actually a very interesting questions, as Tolkien doesn't shy away from very much in his work. -
I don't remember coming across any so I wanted to know...Dsriharsa enlighten us please.
Its funny you know,Lotr is always associated with older readers but no swear words?
Even harry Potter associated with the kids has Bit*h or B*stard(not sure which) in the last book. -
I do not recall any "swear words" but lots of swearing.. mostly from Saruman.. once Gandalf removed him from the Istari..
IIRC he insulted Theoden, calling the house of Eorl the house of dogs.. did quite a bit of swearing at Gandalf, Wormtongue and even at the Hobbits once they returned to the Shire and overthew Saruman again..
Denethor had some harsh words for Gandalf too, though if you are looking for proper swear words like "sod off" "f*ck you" or the like, you will not find any..
Tolkien was above all, a linguist who delighted in the beauty of the language.. The language of narration is supposed to be "Westron"(though Anglicized for those of us not from Middle earth).. and Westron itself is a derivative from the tongue of the Numenoreans and also influenced by Sindarin, the language of the gray elves(meaning, not the high elves).. both proud races who had interest only in the beauty of the language rather than cursing.. -
dsriharsha -- I knew you would know! Thank you.
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- I loved both series but if I had to choose it would be J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings triology - hands down.
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If I haven't already said it, you are wise, timethief. Also, very knowlegeable about all things blog. I highly recommend your site, which can be found at onecoolsite.wordpress.com. It's already helped me with my blog. And I'll check out your other site as soon as I can, because I suspect it's also interesting. None of which has anything to do with HP and LOTR, but, hey, many things in life are interconnected in odd ways, don't you think?
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My son the bookworm, read all the HP books before the age of 8. LOTR, he couldn't quite get into....yet. So the books are clearly designed for respective audiences and we are presumably all adults here....LOTR it is. however, why is it that nobody can see that HR ideas were taken straight out of LOTR.
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umymmymm -- I believe your assessment is correct, and wise. LOTR is written with the adventure and wonder of a kids' book, but with the intelligence for adults.
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Both are about friendship and fighting evil.
One is a teenage story and the other is an adult bond.
The people who made the harry potter movies never got them ok. The subtle stuff that marks the best in HP books lacks in the movies. You would need around 5 hours to potray a HP book properly, or so I feel.
I liked the LOTR movies better probably because I read the books after the movies.-
marketborn -- Books after the movies? Interesting. That would play games with your mind's image of the characters, I would think. Weirdly, I though the LOTR movies got the characters just right for me, almost as if Peter Jackson had read my mind. You are wise!
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Harry Potter-
Kasumi -- Thanks for sharing. You must feel wrung after that all that commenting, though. Take a break and relax.
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I don't really know why people compare them because they are very dissimilar. I'm not a Harry Potter fan, they read like very average children's books. I have no problem reading children's books, but there is nothing special about them and I don't understand why so many adults love them.
LOTR is written in the style of a Viking Saga and incorporates a great deal of Nordic mythology into the story. Tolkien drew on his expertise as a philologist to create new languages, and his experience of the First World War to create some distressingly real reflections on war and death. Tolkien deals with the destruction of the natural world for the sake of industry, he deals with the concept of female empowerment in a patriarchal society, and with the struggle of every individual against base and selfish desires in favour of duty and goodness.
I don't think it's any contest which is superior.-
Epicharis -- Ah, I see you've done your research, and you are wise. Tokien was a big fan of all things Nordic, including Valkyries and, probably, rakfisk. He dealt with some very interesting themes, especially for the time. For example, I've always believed the pivotal scene (as opposed to the climatic scene) in LOTR is Eowyn's slaying of the biggest, baddest Ringwraith. He's saying something very interesting about the role of women there. Something that was pretty radical--and progressive--when he started writing in the 30s and 40s. Kudos to him, and to you.
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LOTR allllllll the way. its an EPIC story, harry potter is more of a childs bedtime story.-
You are wise, Maiadomingues. Although both books can be read at bedtime, your children will fall asleep faster with one than the other.
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Well now, the decision of true talent lies in the eyes, hearts and ears of the beholder(s) and in this case multi-millions of them. The Hobbit was his best work and the Lord of The Rings was even darker, which didn't interest me. The movies were very very good. Having said that the fact that someone has taken years to write exceptional literature for children en masse and adults alike plays rather well with me, for this is the larger audience and while I have not taken time to read the books, I will say that I have enjoyed the movies over and over and over again. Whereas, I have viewed The Lord of The Rings Trilogy perhaps three times. Harry Potter and J.K. Rowling Rule the day.
P.S. I know you claim you were not tying to demean this great author, perhaps the best-selling author of all time, but it sure did seem that way.-
Theresa111 -- At last, a true HP fan. I was beginning to despair that they didn't really exist or were too afraid to speak out. I would be, too, faced with the might of the LOTR. Better to hide in the Mines of Moria, where the sun don't shine.
Unfortunately, I do not agree that truth and value can be judged only in the eyes of the beholder. What appealed to John Wayne Gacey, the clown killer, for example, was just bad and wrong, I don't care what he thought about it. Of course, we're talking literature here, not psycho killers, so perhaps the analogy doesn't hold magic dust, if that's an appropriate analogy.
As for J.K. Rowling: She's not the best-selling author of all time; that honor belongs to God, the man behind the best-selling book of all time, the Bee Eye Bee El EEEEE! Still, no disrespect to Rowling, who's howling all the way to the bank and making me very jealous with all her success.
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Lord of the Ring is outstanding, Harry Potter is good entertaining.-
You are wise. And correct. One entertains and teaches, the other merely entertains.
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Big LOTR fan. I've only seen the first HP, and have never read the books.-
Perfect! You are wise! I, too, have ignored the HP books and movies. Clearly, they're not up to par with LOTR.
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Just a bit of news for you Mike - the building of Hobbiton has begun again preparing for the Hobbit films, from what I hear though there will be more to the actual set this time around than what was on LOTR
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Well, we're obsessed, so we can't help but lo-lo-lo-loooove Potter, but LOTR has a special place in our obsessive hearts. How can one avoid obsession? We would speak Elvish if it was socially acceptable. -
I'm not reading this whole thread, but just stating that you have to be foolish to even compare LOTR to Harry Potter. Honestly, I don't care for the writing in the HP books, I think the style is over-simplified and quite frankly boring and the story is entertaining at most. And come on, the films have hollywood franchise written all over them.
That being said, I got the Lord of the Rings trilogy as a gift when I was small, as a large, bible - look a like book containing the whole trilogy. It's so worn out and old that it looks like a limited edition.-
Loved both series. One point though is that while LOTR is very consistently written, HP changes through the series - the themes get darker and slightly more adult, the plots get more complex, and the books get longer and longer - something you might not have picked up if you only read HP1. This also made them increasingly difficult to film.
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